Gralla et al. Humanitarian Information Needs Short Paper – Decision Support Systems Proceedings of the ISCRAM 2015 Conference - Kristiansand, May 24-27 Palen, Büscher, Comes & Hughes, eds. Understanding the information needs of field-based decision-makers in humanitarian response to sudden onset disasters Erica Gralla George Washington University egralla@gwu.edu Jarrod Goentzel Massachusetts Institute of Technology goentzel@mit.edu Bartel Van de Walle Tilburg University bvdwalle@gmail.com ABSTRACT The development and spread of new technology and the internet has opened a new world of possibilities to gather data and create information in a crisis. However, it is not clear which information field managers require to make the best possible decisions. As a result, it is difficult for volunteers, technology developers, and others, to collect and analyze data that results in information that is accessible and actionable for decision makers. To understand the information requirements of humanitarian responders, a workshop was conducted, bringing together eighteen experienced humanitarian responders. The results of the workshop include preliminary frameworks for decisions and information requirements that are common during the initial phases of a sudden onset disaster. These frameworks will help volunteer and technical communities to understand the information field decision-makers require to make the best possible decisions. Keywords Decision-making, humanitarian response, information requirements INTRODUCTION The development and spread of new technology and the internet has opened a new world of possibilities to gather data and create information in a crisis (e.g., Guy, Earle, Ostrum, Gruchalla, and Horvath, 2010; Shahani, 2011). However, despite all the energy devoted to crisis mapping and other movements (e.g., Ziemke, 2012), it is not clear which information field managers require to make the best possible decisions. As a result, the requirements for decision support are not clear. Therefore, it is difficult for volunteers, technology developers, and others, to develop decision support systems or to directly collect and analyze data that results in information that is accessible and actionable for decision makers.